Coming soon to a classroom near you, The School of Signs, a programme of study introducing primary school children to the richness of British Sign Language.
Over the last 18 months, Signature has been working in collaboration with RAD, ITV Signpost and 2Simple to develop this exciting initiative, which aims to equip children with both deaf awareness and BSL skills. Having attended many different childcare and education expos, it was clear that a BSL product was in demand, due to a lack of free and accessible resources. In response, The School of Signs was created to meet that need, offering a free and easy to implement programme of study that allows teachers to seamlessly introduce BSL into their classrooms.
To ensure this programme of study can be easily integrated into their timetable, we worked with multiple partners. Our partnership with The Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD), enabled us to create a BSL classroom, which consists of pre-recorded materials, all led by a qualified Deaf teacher. The partnership with RAD will ensure that Deaf awareness and BSL are embedded meaningfully from an early age, helping to bridge the communication gap between Deaf and hearing communities. By working closely with RAD, we ensure that BSL can be taught with authenticity and expertise.
The programme of study features:
- 20 FREE online lessons delivered by Deaf BSL teachers.
- A blended learning model, combining classroom BSL lessons with an interactive series called Codebreakers.
- Comprehensive learning resources, including lesson plans, printouts, homework, and a dictionary of signs.
- Teacher support in the form of CPD.
- An online platform that allows schools to track progress and set homework.
Alongside the BSL classroom, Signature, alongside ITV Signpost created a series of short fictional films called Codebreakers. The series, which is engaging for students, follows two spies, Max Sparks and Evie Rush, who go undercover to uncover the mystery behind why the Curious Academy school is in chaos. Each episode’s theme directly connects to a BSL classroom lesson, with activities and BSL woven into the storyline. We want Codebreakers to be something that students look forward to watching each week, putting their BSL skills to practice. Overall, the hybrid learning model supports both skill development and cultural awareness.
In order to ensure the programme of study is easily accessible to both teachers and parents, Signature collaborated with 2Simple. 2Simple is an educational software platform which is positioned in over 7,000 primary schools. The partnership with 2Simple, and more specifically their Purple Mash platform, ensures that learning is both straightforward and engaging.
The partnerships for The School of Signs have been crucial in bringing the programme of study to life. Each partner offers a unique perspective, and with a united goal in improving access to BSL, we have created something which will alter the way children will communicate and connect.
Ultimately, The School of Signs acts as an opportunity to embed BSL into the classroom seamlessly. Children will be equipped with the tools to communicate with the Deaf community with the help of our high-quality teaching resources with engaging storytelling and interactive learning, through Codebreakers. With the expertise of our partners, we have created a programme that is not only easy to use for teachers but transformative for students. We look forward to educating the next generation of communicators.